Starlight// FW

Change

****

The group around Cedric began to disperse, leaving us alone. "Yeah sure", I smiled, "I've been wanting to see you too. Congratulations, school champion". He smiled and laughed lightly, then he grabbed my hand and we walked a little further down the hallway. Reaching a tapestry, Cedric pulled it to the side, a secret room behind it.

I raised my eyebrows and smiled, was he finally going to kiss me? Cedric rubbed the back of his neck and looked at me. "So, what did you want to talk about?", I let out. Cedric ran his hand up and down my arm, it felt nice. "Sawyer, I really like you", he sighed. I nodded, "You told me that the other night", I hit his arm in what I hoped was a teasingly flirty way. He licked his lips, "But I can't ask you to be my girlfriend anymore".

The smile fell off my face. "Oh", I breathed. That was certainly not what I was expecting. "It's not anything to do with you", Cedric hurriedly continued. I sucked in my cheeks. "It's just... being the champion is going to be so much work. So much concentration. It's just such a big change.. and I can't have any distractions". That stung. My face flushed and my eyes narrowed.

"So I'm just a distraction?", I spit. Cedric shook his head, "No! No, that's not what I'm saying". I crossed my arms over my chest, "So what are you saying". Cedric sighed, "I'm saying that I care about you too much to ask you to be my girlfriend and then push you to the side because I'm so busy". What he was saying logically made sense, but that didn't stop the pang in my chest and the tears I felt welling behind my eyes. 

"So you think that you would just push me aside like that?", I snapped. Cedric bit his lip, "I mean...yeah". I let out a huff of air. "Can we still be friends?", he let out weakly. I looked at him for a moment. "No", I pushed through the tapestry, leaving him standing there.

Tears began to spill and I wiped them away furiously. I can't believe I had been so stupid, let myself be so distracted. I had been focusing less on school and bettering myself. I had let myself like Cedric, when I knew it was too good to be true. I wasn't looking where I was going, but luckily the halls were mostly empty, as it was still the weekend. I wanted to stop crying, I felt so incredibly stupid.

I sniffed and dug around in my bag to try and find something to wipe my face with. I wasn't looking where I was going and suddenly I felt myself smash into a large mass. I looked up, the face blurry through my tears. "Oh, sorry Fred", the twins stood before me, looking concerned. "Sawyer, are you okay?", George let out, guiding me down the hall to a more secluded area.

Fred hadn't said anything, he just looked at me. "Seriously, what's wrong you look awful", George joked. I shot him a look. "It's nothing", I mumbled. Fred's eyebrows drew together, "Bullshit". I threw my hands up in the air, "Fine. Okay. Cedric has decided that since he is now the champion of Hogwarts, he does not have time for me". Fred and George looked at each other then at the same time Fred said, "I'm gonna kill him", and George said, "I'm so sorry".

I wiped my face and took a deep breath. "It's okay", I said, trying to look strong, "It just was very out of the blue". Fred looked at me for a moment, then suddenly turned on his heel, storming away. "Where is he going?", I let out. George smiled slightly for a moment, "Meet us at the common room later tonight, I'm going to go save pretty boy's face".

****

Later that night, I had changed clothes, put on some makeup, and finally stopped crying. When I had returned to the common room, I had told the girls everything. They had a myriad of reactions. Hazel's was very similar to Fred's, she looked like she was about to punch him out. Rachel looked like she was going to cry as well, and Lacey tried to reason with me, saying she could understand where he was coming from, that he did it in a horrible way but it made sense.

They all made me feel better in different ways, and it was nice to know that people were there for me. I hadn't been able to locate Roger to tell him yet, he was probably off trying to get the attention of Fleur like everyone else. "I need to go", I sighed, looking out of the window by my bed and out across the school grounds. "Why?", said Rachel, setting down her quill. "I told Fred and George I'd meet them tonight", I stood, "I think they're going to try to do something to cheer me up". Lacey giggled, "Alright, have fun. They're such a laugh, you should introduce me sometime".

I rolled my eyes, 'Will do, Lace". She was known throughout our year for being slightly boy crazy. I made my way through the corridors until I found myself at the Gryffindor common room. I waited until someone came out and slipped in. Sitting in front of the fire was not only Fred and George, but Hermione as well. The twins held up at cake that read, "Sorry You Got Dumped" in large color changing letters. My eyebrows raised, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"You guys are the worst", I giggled, sticking my tasting a bit of the icing. Hermione smiled slightly at me, then pulled me into a hug. "I'm sorry", she said into my hair. "It's okay, probably for the better", I grinned, and it felt less false all of a sudden. "Here", Hermione grinned, pinning a metal badge to my cardigan that read S.P.E.W. My eyebrows drew together, "What's this?". "You are officially a member of Hogwarts new up and coming club. The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare", she practically squealed.

"We're supposed to be making her feel better", George rolled his eyes. "It is, I love it", I smiled at Hermione. My heart was beginning to feel light again, and I couldn't help but feel better. Fred hadn't said much since I had come in, and as we sat down and began digging into the cake I turned to him. "Hi", I let out. "Hello", he grinned back. "I'm assuming you didn't actually beat up Cedric?", I said, taking a bite of the cake.

"Only verbally", he winked, dipping his finger into my frosting and licking it. I hit his hand away. "So, you're a free woman now", he wiggled his eyebrows. I nodded, "Yeah I guess I am". He was about to say something, but I continued, "And you know what, I think I'm done with men for a long time". Fred shut his mouth and waited a moment, "Well that's disappointing". I didn't hear him however, because Hermione had started going off about the bylaws of SPEW and when meetings were. All in all, it was a great end to a horrible day.